Three-year background check
by AgentOfAngst
Summary: Fred encouraged his family to start a background check on Honey Lemon when she was out of a dorm. Who knew that in three years she'd be part of his family?


**I'm finally writing a Honeyzilla story and it feels so good. They're so cute together, but for different reasons than GoGosabi is cute.**

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The day that Honey Lemon was frozen out of her dorm Fred encouraged his family to start a background check on her with the intention that she might one day move in with them. Then things worked out with GoGo. Which is honestly for the best. Because three years is a long time. But the background check continued.

Three years is a long time, though. People finish college in that amount of time, which was true of Honey Lemon. People also get jobs and move out of their parent's sprawling estate, which was true of Fred. Fred had applied and been selected for the San Fransokyo Police Department. And people fall in love in that amount of time, who he was true of Fred and Honey Lemon.

It hadn't taken them the whole three years to fall for each other, though. The feelings were already there between them at the beginning of Big Hero 6. She'd always been so nice to him, even when he was being weird. She pulled him into her cutesy habits, he got her into his nerdy ones. They shared a lot together. Hobbies, compliments, tastes, and personal space. He started off just leaning on her, casually, like friends do. Then when something good happened, he was the one she would excitedly throw her arms around. And then came the casual hand-holding as they walked around campus. Group hangouts turned to solo hangouts which turned to dates in the blink of an eye.

And Fred was notably, charmingly, terrible at dates. He did his best, no one could deny that. He pulled chairs out for her like a gentleman and took her to nice restaurants while wearing nice clothing. And stammering his way through awkward compliments. In those settings, he spilled his drink and tripped over uncomfortable shoes. The food was delicious but Fred's obvious agony was too much to bear.

So Honey Lemon flipped the script and planned the dates. When she planned the dates things went more smoothly. They'd get pizza or sushi and go to an arcade. He taught her how to play the games and she quickly overtook his high scores. Then they'd go to her favorite art supply store and wandered up and down the aisles. He'd wrap his arms around her from behind and ask her to describe or explain the supplies she picked out. That was something she really liked about Fred. He wasn't the smartest guy around but when there was something he didn't know he asked questions and took the time to listen and find out. After all, he memorized all the lore for his favorite heroes and villains, why shouldn't he know what quilling was?

Going on dates quickly turned to official dating, which came with cuddles and kisses. Their first kiss was a memorable one, too. It was around Christmastime. They'd only been dating for a while but it already felt like it was going to last. They doted on each other endlessly, getting or making each other things to brighten their day, giving compliments and holding hands. She had invited him to leave the city and spend Christmas with her family. It was the first time he hadn't been with his family for Christmas but he loved getting to meet her family, which was a lot bigger than his. They were as warm and bright as her, although they teased lovingly. He felt welcomed immediately, and he couldn't help thinking about the three-year background check. It seemed like inviting her to spend Christmas with his family was still a long time coming. He understood why his family was cautious, but it was still disheartening, how solitary and separate their Christmases seemed. At Honey Lemon's, it seemed like people were invited in off the street to be part of the festivities. Caught up in the festivities, underneath the tree posing for a picture with Honey (at her parent's urging), he captured her lips in a kiss (to her parent's dismay) and she kissed back.

After that, twinkling Christmas lights reminded them of their first kiss. Walking around the city in December was one of their favorite things to do. On more than one occasion, Honey Lemon had to drag Fred to his feet after he faceplanted on sidewalk ice. He would laugh and say he was fine and she would call him Freddy and tell him to be more careful. She said that a lot. Be careful. Be more careful. She said it during patrol as Big Hero 6. She said it when he started for the SFPD. She said it no matter the occasion because she was worried he would forget how much he meant to her. He showed that he cared with different words, repeating, over and over as she began to live her dream as a chemist that he was so so proud of her. He never ceased to tell her that he was proud of her.

He said it, "I'm proud of you," the day he got down on one knee, in the sight of a thousand twinkling Christmas lights, and asked her to marry him. He told her how proud he was before he even asked her to share his life with him. She threw her arms around him in a resounding yes. They had an apartment together, a nice place for the two of them, nothing like the mansion Fred was raised in but definitely not shabby and far from what could be considered the bad part of town. He practically carried her back to their home the day she said yes. It was early December and having a Christmas Eve wedding was a nice way to honor their first kiss. And so, with the magic of do it yourself crafting and a nice bit of cash (and Lucky Cat catering, of course) their dream was achieved right in time.

Three years was a long time, and a lot could happen in that time. Love can happen in three years. Background checks hardly mattered when you were becoming part of the family. Honey Lemon took his last name and they went back to their home together to celebrate Christmas as a family. To be as warm and welcoming as they pleased. To invite anyone and everyone to crash their cozy honeymoon Christmas morning. To care for and dote on others as much as they cared for and doted on each other. A lot could happen in three years, in that amount of time two people could and did find perfect happiness. The next three years, and far beyond, would be just as full of that special kind of magic.


End file.
